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Let me start by saying that I am not a recruiter. In fact, I’ve never been a recruiter and I have no plans of becoming a recruiter anytime soon. I am, however, an expert when it comes to helping recruiters do their jobs better. Let me explain…

My name is Bryan Shaw, and I’m the Marketing Director for two companies, STS Aviation Group and STS Technical Services. Both operate in the staffing industry and focus on recruitment process outsourcing for major aerospace & manufacturing clients. There’s a lot that goes into my role at STS, but the part that’s relevant to my “expert” claim has to do with the time and effort I expel promoting jobs and finding quality candidates using a myriad of online tools.

Over the years I have helped place more than 1,000 people into successful careers all across the country. I have viewed, edited and refined countless resumes, and I know what it takes to nab the attention of recruiters and ultimately get the job you’ve been dreaming about.

Now that you know a little about me and what it is that I do, let me borrow your time for the next few minutes while I show you five surefire ways to help you land the job you’ve always wanted. Here goes…

1.) Be Professional & Active on Social Media

It’s 2015, and social media is ingrained in our culture. If you want to be taken seriously as a job seeker then you need to take your social media profiles seriously, too. Studies have shown that nearly 60% of all employers view a candidate’s personal social media sites before making a hiring decision. The content found therein can make or break your chances of getting the job. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that every social site you’re on exudes and heir of professionalism from top to bottom (Yes, that includes Facebook).

In addition to making your social profiles reflect the professional that you are or ultimately want to be, it helps to engage with content being shared by the company you’re trying to get hired by. Don’t go crazy and share every status update and tweet they throw out (you’ll look a little stalker-ish if you do). Simply show an active and recurring interest from time to time, and you’ll soon reap the benefits.

A successful LinkedIn profile will not only highlight your professional experience, it will also give employers a glimpse into who you are as a person. No one wants to hire a face – unless you’re a model – and that means you need to inject some personality into your profile. There’s nothing wrong with letting an employer know that you’re an avid sports fan who loves to play golf and fish on weekends. At the end of the day, employers want to hire people they can relate to, not robots who clock in, clock out, collect their checks and go home.

If you made it this far into the article, you’re probably thinking that point three (above) is utter craziness. It’s not. If you want to stand out from other candidates then you need to go the extra mile. The good news is, I’m here to help make this whole personal-website thing easy for you.

When you’re done reading this article (and not before you’re done), head on over to a site called Branded Me. It’s a simple-to-use platform that’s been designed to pull information directly from your recently-made-awesome LinkedIn profile (assuming you’ve followed step two) before using that information to create a personal website in under 30 seconds. Wait… what’s that? You think I’m kidding about the website-in-under-30-seconds thing? I’m not. It’s really that simple, and when you’ve had a chance to test it out for yourself, you can send a thank-you box of cookies to my office as a sign of gratitude (I prefer oatmeal raisin).

4.) Learn As Much as You Can About the Company & Position Before You Interview

When it comes to landing the job of your dreams, knowledge is power. Those that have it will always steal the job away from those that do not. Here’s why…

By taking the time to learn about the company you’re applying to work for, you’ll be able to spin that newly-found knowledge back to the hiring manger(s) who will work with you throughout the interview process. If you show a genuine interest in the company and the products / services they offer, that interest will ooze out of you in the form of passion. And, like it or not, employers want to hire passionate employees; people who will go above and beyond in an effort to excel. Choose not to heed this advice and do so at your own peril.

Mark Cuban once said, “Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you.” If you don’t think that statement is true, you will more likely than not get passed over by someone who does.

5.) Help Recruiters Help You

Recruiters get paid to find you work. In fact, many of them get paid handsomely, particularly if the jobs they deal with require very specific skill sets. Knowing this, recruiters aren’t magicians. They can’t pull employment bunnies from magic hats and land you the job of your dreams without some serious hard work and effort. That’s where you come in. The more that you’re willing to help a recruiter get to know and understand who you are and what exactly it is that you’re looking for, the more capable they’ll become at helping you land the job you’ve always wanted.

In addition to being helpful to recruiters, you also need to establish a strong human connection with them if you can. Think about it this way. Who would you be more willing to go to bat for? A person whom you barely know or someone you have a strong relationship with? The right answer is the latter, and if you disagree with me on this, you may want to return to the top of this article and try again.

Conclusion

So you want to land the job of your dreams. That’s awesome. Bright futures start with a single step forward, and this article has been designed to help you get moving in the right direction. I hope you’ve enjoyed and found it useful, and I thank you all for taking the time.

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About STS Technical Services

STS Technical Services places Mechanics, Engineers, veterans and technical professionals into contract and direct hire positions across the U.S. We work with some of the largest corporate names in the country, and we have hundreds of opportunities for you to explore!